Nexus

1st: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Xbox, PC, Mac Total Points: 88 Number of number 1 votes: 1 (topeka!) Number of votes: 11 (p4warrior, Papu, TheMightyEthan, Yantelope, Hot Heart, mergedwarrior, Gyaruson, Nexus, Aki, Chewblaha, topeka!) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. It was released for the Xbox on July 15, 2003, for Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003, and on September 7, 2004 for Mac OS X. The Xbox version is playable on Xbox 360 with its Backward Compatibility feature. The PC version was re-released as part of the Star Wars: The Best of PC collection in 2006 as a limited release. The sequel, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords, was developed by Obsidian Entertainment at BioWare's suggestion as BioWare wanted to focus on their own intellectual properties. Jeremy Soule wrote the soundtrack score for the game. Nexus says:"KOTOR is a ridiculous amount of fun. It indulged my d20 enjoyment, and added in some graphics and a good storyline, so it's awesome. Number 1 by virtue of volumes of votes. Well deserved." Well, there we have it, the top 53 games from TAY.

Guild Wars. Somewhere between 1000 and 2000 hours.

49th= Simcity 3000, Xenogears, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, Super Metroid, Dragon Age: Origins 48th Ico 47th Jak 2 43rd= Warcraft 3, God Hand, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker 41st= Fallout 3, Super Mario Bros. 3 39th= Fallout 2, Kingdom Hearts 38th Pokemon Gold/Silver 36th= Final Fantasy 8, Minecraft 32nd= Persona 3, Final Fantasy 7, Starcraft, Counterstrike, 31st Final Fantasy 4 29th= Halo 3, Metal Gear Solid 24th= Final Fantasy 12, Starcraft 2, Mass Effect 2, Super Mario 64, Halo 22nd= Super Mario World, Portal 2 20th Super Smash Bros. Melee 19th= Diablo 2, Morrowind 17th= Persona 4, Final Fantasy 6 16th Silent Hill 2 15th Final Fantasy 9 14th The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 13th Red Dead Redemption 12th Tetris 11th Mass Effect 10th Metroid Prime 9th Half Life 7th= Metal Gear Solid 3, Chrono Trigger 6th Shadow of the Colossus 5th Team Fortress 2 3rd= Portal, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 2nd Half Life 2

2nd: Half Life 2 PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac Total Points: 69 Number of number 1 votes: 2 (p4warrior, Vargras) Number of votes: 5 (p4warrior, Vargras, VicariousShaner, mergedwarrior, Yantelope) Half-Life 2, the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear. Developed by Valve Corporation, it was initially released on November 16, 2004, following a protracted five-year, $40 million development cycle, during which a substantial part of the project was leaked and distributed on the internet. The game was developed alongside Source and Steam. It introduced the game engine and, because of Steam, is the first video game to require online product activation. Like its predecessor, Half Life 2 was met with near-unanimous critical acclaim. It was praised for its advanced physics, animation, sound, AI, graphics, and narrative. The game won 39 "Game of the Year" awards, and several publications have named it "Game of the Decade". Over 6.5 million copies of Half-Life 2 were sold at retail by December 3, 2008, making it a best selling PC game. This figure does not include the significant number of sales through Steam. It has since been revealed that the game sold 12 million copies as of February 9, 2011

Well luckily for you, that will happen when I update for the number 2, as was always my plan. Typoed. I wrote it at like 6am. Shut up. Typographical errors will not be tolerated. No excuses. Under the Internet Statute of 1782 I win all arguments between myself and Nexus stemming from or otherwise occurring after the offending post until such time as I make a similar error. Gagging orders will be ignored unless presented in the form STFU with an accompanying GTFO in the manner prescribed in the Internet Injunction Act of 1337. Stfu or gtfo? Tits or gtfo? <3

Problem? Typoed. I wrote it at like 6am. Shut up. Um no. You really have a problem with actually reading don't you? Look: Hurr durr Halo CE is going to be number 1. Almost as good as "There is no GTA on the list" "Oh GTA 4 will be on the list somewhere." Turnip.

Joint 3rd: Portal PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Total Points: 63 Number of number 1 votes: 2 (Aki, VicariousShaner) Number of votes: 6 (TheMightyEthan, Vargras, VicariousShaner, mergedwarrior, Nexus, Aki) Portal is a single-player puzzle-platform video game developed by Valve Corporation. The game was released in a bundle package called The Orange Box for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on October 9, 2007, and for the PlayStation 3 on December 11, 2007. The Windows version of the game is also available for download separately through Valve's content delivery system Steam and was released as a standalone retail product on April 9, 2008. A stand-alone version called Portal: Still Alive was released on the Xbox Live Arcade service on October 22, 2008; this version includes an additional 14 puzzles. A Mac OS X version was released as part of the Mac-compatible Steam platform on May 12, 2010. The game primarily comprises a series of puzzles that must be solved by teleporting the player's character and simple objects using the "portal gun", a device that can create inter-spatial portals between two flat planes. The player-character, Chell, is challenged by an artificial intelligence named GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) to complete each puzzle in the Aperture Science Enrichment Center using the portal gun with the promise of receiving cake when all the puzzles are completed. The game's unique physics allow momentum to be retained through portals, requiring creative use of portals to maneuver through the test chambers. This gameplay element is based on a similar concept from the game Narbacular Drop; many of the team members from the DigiPen Institute of Technology who worked on Narbacular Drop were hired by Valve for the creation of Portal. Portal was acclaimed as one of the most original games of 2007, despite being considered short in length. The game received praise for its unique gameplay and darkly humorous story, created with the assistance of Erik Wolpaw and Chet Faliszek. It also received acclaim for the character of GLaDOS, voiced by Ellen McLain in the English-language version, and the end credits song "Still Alive" written by Jonathan Coulton for the game. Not counting sales through Steam, over four million copies of the game have been sold since its release. The game's popularity has led to official merchandise from Valve including plush Companion Cubes, as well as fan recreations of the cake and portal gun. A sequel, Portal 2, was released on April 19, 2011. Nexus says: "I loved Portal. Innovative gameplay, with an amusing antagonist and a brilliant ending credits song. It's fantastic. Granted, short, but it's a good game." The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 64, GameCube, IQue Player, Virtual Console Total Points: 63 Number of number 1 votes: 2 (Yantelope, TheCowboyPoet) Number of votes: 6 (p4warrior, TheMightyEthan, TheCowboyPoet, Yantelope, mergedwarrior) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998. Originally developed for the Nintendo 64DD peripheral, the game was instead released on a 256-megabit (32-megabyte) cartridge, which was the largest-capacity cartridge Nintendo produced at that time. Ocarina of Time is the fifth game in The Legend of Zelda series, and the first with 3D graphics. It was followed two years after its release by the sequel The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. The player controls the series' trademark hero, Link, in the land of Hyrule. Link sets out on a quest to stop Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo tribe, from obtaining the Triforce, a sacred relic that grants the wishes of its holder. Link travels through time and navigates various dungeons to awaken sages who have the power to seal Ganondorf away forever. Music plays an important role—to progress, the player must learn to play and perform several songs on an ocarina. The game was responsible for generating an increased interest in and rise in sales of the ocarina. Ocarina of Time's gameplay system introduced features such as a target lock system and context-sensitive buttons that have since become common elements in 3D adventure games. In Japan, it sold over 820,000 copies in 1998, becoming the tenth-best-selling game of that year. During its lifetime, Ocarina of Time sold 1.14 million copies in Japan, becoming the 134th-best-selling game of all time, and has sold over 7.6 million copies worldwide. The game won the Grand Prize in the Interactive Art division at the Japan Media Arts Festival, won six honors at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, and received overwhelmingly positive acclaim. The title is widely considered by both critics and gamers alike to be the greatest video game ever made. In 2008 and 2010, Guinness World Records declared that Ocarina of Time is the highest rated game ever reviewed.

5th: Team Fortress 2 PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac Total Points: 59 Number of number 1 votes: 0 Number of votes: 5 (VicariousShaner, ChrnoXIII, Deanb, mergedwarrior, Aki) Team Fortress 2 is a team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Valve Corporation. A sequel to Valve's previous Team Fortress Classic, it was first released as part of the video game compilation The Orange Box on October 10, 2007 for Windows and the Xbox 360. A PlayStation 3 version then followed on November 22, 2007. The game was later released as a standalone package for Windows on April 9, 2008. Team Fortress 2 is distributed online through the Steam system, while retail distribution was handled by Electronic Arts. The development of Team Fortress 2 is led by John Cook and Robin Walker, the designers who originally created the Team Fortress modification for Quake in 1996. The game was announced in 1998, powered by Valve's GoldSrc engine, but has since been through various concepts and designs. In 1999, the game appeared to be deviating from its predecessors by pursuing a more realistic and militaristic style of gameplay, but the design metamorphosed over its nine-year development period. The final rendition sports cartoon style visuals influenced by the art of J. C. Leyendecker, Dean Cornwell and Norman Rockwell and is powered by the Source engine. The game itself revolves around two teams, each with access to nine distinct characters, battling in a variety of game modes set in evil genius environments. Nexus says: "TF2 is fucking insane. It's so much fun. Each of the character classes are unique, and it's a lot of fun to play with mates. Same problem as other online multiplayer games, in that the public servers are full of cunts."

Looks quite good. I am impressed. I will start writing when I return from Spain, so start of June time. Thinking about a follow-up to the Top 53 games.

Thoughts for the Top 5?

6th: Shadow of the Colossus PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 Total Points: 55 Number of number 1 votes: 1 (kenshi_ryden) Number of votes: 5 (Papu, STiger, TheMightyEthan, kenshi_ryden, SanaEquiesterer) Shadow of the Colossus is an action-adventure video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI) for the PlayStation 2. The game was released in North America and Japan in October 2005 and PAL territories in February 2006. The game was directed by Fumito Ueda and developed at SCEI's International Production Studio 1, also known as Team Ico; the same development team responsible for the cult hit Ico. Shadow of the Colossus is considered a spiritual successor to Ico. Along with Ico, Shadow of the Colossus will be released in Ico and Shadow of the Colossus: The Collection for the PlayStation 3 in 2011; it will feature HD graphics, Trophy and 3D support. The game focuses on a young man named Wander who must travel across a vast expanse on horseback and defeat sixteen beings, simply known as colossi, to restore the life of a girl. The game is unusual within the action-adventure genre in that there are no towns or dungeons to explore, no characters with which to interact, and no enemies to defeat other than the colossi. Shadow of the Colossus has been described as a puzzle game, as each colossus' weakness must be identified and exploited before it can be defeated. Shadow of the Colossus is regarded as an important work of art and cited as an influential title due to its minimalist landscape designs, immersive gameplay and emotional journey. It received wide critical acclaim by the media and was met with strong sales compared to Ico, due in part to a larger marketing campaign, and the soundtrack was widely praised. It won several awards for its audio, design, and overall quality. Shadow of the Colossus is also referenced numerous times in debates regarding the art quality and emotional perspectives of videogames. Nexus says: "I am a big fan of Shadow of the Colossus. Such a simple concept, but it's pretty and fun. I love it. Need to finish it myself though."

Joint 7th: Metal Gear Solid 3 PlayStation 2, Nintendo 3DS Total Points: 53 Number of number 1 votes: 1 (Papu) Number of votes: 5 (Papu, MetalCaveman, jayc4life, kenshi_ryden, SanaEquiesterer) Metal Gear Solid 3 is an award winning stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima. Snake Eater was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2, and was released on November 17, 2004 in North America; December 16, 2004 in Japan; March 4, 2005 in Europe; and on March 17, 2005 in Australia. The game, which serves as a prequel to the entire Metal Gear series, was followed by two direct sequels titled Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Set in the Cold War-era Soviet Union, the story centers on FOX operative Naked Snake as he attempts to rescue a weapons designer and sabotage an experimental superweapon. While previous games were set in a primarily urban environment, Snake Eater adopts a 1960's Soviet jungle setting, with the high tech, near-future trappings of previous Metal Gear Solid games being replaced with the wilderness. While the setting has changed, the game's focus remains on stealth and infiltration, while retaining the series' self-referential, fourth wall-breaking sense of humor. The story of Snake Eater is told through numerous cut scenes and radio conversations. Chrono Trigger SNES, PlayStation, Nintendo DS, Virtual Console, Mobile Phones Total Points: 53 Number of number 1 votes: 1 (SanaEquiesterer) Number of votes: 6 (p4warrior, Cyber Rat, Johnny, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Aki, SanaEquiesterer) Chrono Trigger is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Trigger's development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a freelance designer and creator of Enix's popular Dragon Quest series; and Akira Toriyama, a freelance manga artist famed for his work with Dragon Quest and Dragon Ball. Kazuhiko Aoki produced the game Masato Kato wrote most of the plot, while composer Yasunori Mitsuda scored most of the game before falling ill and deferring remaining tracks to Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu. The game's story follows a group of adventurers who travel through time to prevent a global catastrophe. Square re-released a ported version by Tose in Japan for Sony's PlayStation in 1999, later repackaged with a Final Fantasy IV port as Final Fantasy Chronicles in 2001 for the North American market. A slightly enhanced Chrono Trigger was released for the Nintendo DS on November 25, 2008, in North America and Japan, and went on sale in Australia on February 3, 2009 and in Europe on February 6, 2009. The game was never released in PAL teritories before the Nintendo DS version. Chrono Trigger was well-received by reviewers and commercially successful upon release; it is now considered one of the greatest games of all time. Nintendo Power magazine described certain aspects of Chrono Trigger as revolutionary, including its multiple endings, plot-related sidequests focusing on character development, unique battle system, and detailed graphics. Chrono Trigger was the third best-selling game of 1995, and the game's SNES and PSX iterations have shipped 2.65 million copies as of March 31, 2003. Chrono Trigger DS has sold 790,000 copies as of March 31, 2009. Square has announced that Chrono Trigger will be ported to mobile phones, Virtual Console, and PlayStation Network in 2011.

9th: Half Life PC, PlayStation 2 Total Points: 51 Number of number 1 votes: 1 (mergedwarrior) Number of votes: 5 (p4warrior, Cyber Rat, Vargras, Yantelope, mergedwarrior) Half-Life is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Software, the company's debut product and the first in the Half-Life series. First released by Sierra Studios on November 19, 1998, the game was also released for the PlayStation 2 on November 14, 2001. In Half-Life, players assume the role of Dr. Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist who must fight his way out of a secret underground research facility, whose research and experiments into teleportation technology have gone disastrously wrong. Valve, set up by former Microsoft employees, had difficulty finding a publisher for the game, with many believing that it was "too ambitious" a project. Sierra On-Line eventually signed the game after expressing interest in making a 3D action game. The game had its first major public appearance at the 1997 Electronic Entertainment Expo. Designed for Windows, the game uses a heavily modified version of the Quake engine called GoldSrc. On its release, critics hailed its overall presentation and numerous scripted sequences, and it won over 50 PC Game of the Year awards. Its gameplay influenced the design of first-person shooters for years after its release, and it is widely considered to be one of the greatest computer games of all time. As of November 16, 2004, Half-Life has sold eight million copies. As of July 14, 2006, the Half-Life franchise has sold over 20 million units. Half-Life was followed by the 2004 sequel Half-Life 2, which also received critical acclaim. Half-Life, its cultural impact, community mods and sequels has spawned a large fanbase and cult following, especially in PC gaming.

10th: Metroid Prime GameCube, Wii Total Points: 48 Number of number 1 votes: 1 (Frosted Mini-Wheats) Number of votes: 5 (p4warrior, Papu, Vargras, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Johnny) Metroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002. It is the first 3D game in the Metroid series, and is classified by Nintendo as a first-person adventure rather than a first-person shooter, due to the large exploration component of the game. In North America, it was also the first Metroid installment to be released since Super Metroid in 1994; in all other markets, it was released after Metroid Fusion. Metroid Prime is the first of the three part Prime storyline, which takes place between the original Metroid and Metroid II: Return of Samus. Like previous games in the series, Metroid Prime has a science fiction setting, in which players control the bounty hunter Samus Aran. The story follows Samus as she battles the Space Pirates and their biological experiments on the planet Tallon IV.

11th: Mass Effect PC, Xbox 360 Total Points: 47 Number of number 1 votes: 0 Number of votes: 6 (TheMightyEthan, Vargras, mergedwarrior, Gyaruson, Aki, topeka!) Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and then ported to Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios. The Windows version was released on May 28, 2008, published by Electronic Arts. The game takes place in the year 2183, with the player, assuming the role of an elite human soldier named Commander Shepard, setting out to explore the Galaxy on a starship, the SSV Normandy. The titular mass effect is a form of inertia-suppressing technology, allowing faster-than-light travel.

12th: Tetris Everything you can think of Total Points: 40 Number of number 1 votes: 1 (DukeofPwn) Number of votes: 5 (Cyber Rat, DukeofPwn, Deanb, jayc4life, Johnny) Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russia. He derived its name from the Greek numerical prefix tetra- (all of the game's pieces, known as Tetrominoes, contain four segments) and tennis, Pajitnov's favorite sport. The Tetris game is a popular use of tetrominoes, the four element special case of polyominoes. Polyominoes have been used in popular puzzles since at least 1907, and the name was given by the mathematician Solomon W. Golomb in 1953. However, even the enumeration of pentominoes is dated to antiquity. The game (or one of its many variants) is available for nearly every video game console and computer operating system, as well as on devices such as graphing calculators, mobile phones, portable media players, PDAs, Network music players and even as an Easter egg on non-media products like oscilloscopes. It has even inspired Tetris serving dishes and been played on the sides of various buildings, with the record holder for the world's largest fully functional game of Tetris being an effort by Dutch students in 1995 that lit up all 15 floors of the Electrical Engineering department at Delft University of Technology. While versions of Tetris were sold for a range of 1980s home computer platforms, it was the hugely successful handheld version for the Game Boy launched in 1989 that established the game as one of the most popular ever. Electronic Gaming Monthly's 100th issue had Tetris in first place as "Greatest Game of All Time". In 2007, Tetris came in second place in IGN's "100 Greatest Video Games of All Time". It has sold more than 70 million copies. In January 2010, it was announced that Tetris has sold more than 100 million copies for cell phones alone since 2005. Nexus says:"Iconic music. Iconic game."

13th: Red Dead Redemption PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Total Points: 39 Number of number 1 votes: 0 Number of votes: 5 (Papu, TheMightyEthan, TheCowboyPoet, Yantelope, Nexus) Red Dead Redemption is an open world action-adventure western video game, developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 18, 2010. It is a spiritual successor to 2004's Red Dead Revolver. Most of the game's story takes place in the year 1911, during the decline of the American Old West. The game follows John Marston, a former outlaw, while he sets out to hunt down his former gang members. Marston's wife and son are taken hostage by the government in ransom for his services as a bounty hunter. Having no other choice, he sets out to bring his three former gang members to justice. Upon its release, Red Dead Redemption was met with high critical acclaim averaging 95% on both review aggregate websites Metacritic and GameRankings, making it one of the highest rated video games for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on both websites. It won several "Game of the Year" awards. Reviewers praised the visuals, music, open world gameplay, and the story. According to the NPD Sales Group, Red Dead Redemption sold over two million units in the combined months of May and June. Nexus says:"I love RDR. GTA with added horses. The story is phenomenal, the characters are all awesome-the protagonist and antagonist are great, and the supporting cast rock. Gameplay is fun, soundtrack is good, and it's very pretty. One of the best games released recently."

14th: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Nintendo 64, GameCube, Virtual Console Total Points: 37 Number of number 1 votes: 0 Number of votes: 3 (TheCowboyPoet, Gyaruson, Frosted Mini-Wheats) The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first week in Japan, and has sold three million copies worldwide. The game was rereleased for the Nintendo GameCube as part of The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition, and the Wii's Virtual Console service in the PAL region on April 3, 2009, Japan on April 7, 2009, and North America on May 18, 2009. Majora's Mask is the sixth installment in The Legend of Zelda series and the second using 3D graphics, the first being The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the game's predecessor. The game is set in Termina, an alternate version of the usual series setting of Hyrule, where the Skull Kid has stolen Majora's Mask, a powerful ancient artifact. Under its influence, the Skull Kid causes the land's moon to slowly fall towards Termina, where it crashes after three days. The main protagonist Link repeatedly travels back in time to the beginning of the three days to find a way to stop the moon from destroying Clock Town. The gameplay is centered on the perpetually repeating three-day cycle and the use of various masks, some of which allow Link to transform into different beings. Link learns to play several melodies on his ocarina, which have a variety of effects like controlling the flow of time or opening passages to four temples, which house challenges Link must overcome. Unlike Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask requires the Expansion Pak, which provides additional memory for enhanced graphics and more on-screen characters. Majora's Mask was well received by critics, who praised the graphics and deep story.

15th: Final Fantasy IX PlayStation, PSN Total Points: 36 Number of number 1 votes: 1 (Deanb) Number of votes: 3 (TheCowboyPoet, Deanb, Nexus) Final Fantasy IX is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the PlayStation. Released in 2000, it is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series, such as the "Active Time Event", "Mognet", and a revamped equipment and skill system. Set in the fantasy world of Gaia, Final Fantasy IX's plot centers on a war between several nations. Players follow a young thief named Zidane Tribal, who joins with several others to defeat Queen Brahne of Alexandria, who started the war. The plot shifts, however, when the characters realize that Brahne is a puppet for an arms dealer called Kuja. Final Fantasy IX was developed alongside Final Fantasy VIII, but took a different path to return to the style of the early Final Fantasy games with a more traditional fantasy setting; consequently, Final Fantasy IX was influenced heavily by the original Final Fantasy game, and features allusions to other titles in the series. The music was scored by the then regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The game has been subject to extremely positive reviews, receiving 93% on GameRankings (making it the second highest rated Final Fantasy game after Final Fantasy VI). Final Fantasy IX was commercially successful, selling 5.30 million units worldwide as of March 31, 2003. Nexus says: "FF9 was the first final fantasy I ever played, and as such has a special place in my heart. It's a lot of fun, with some good characters and an excellent soundtrack. Graphics are good too. Shame about the final boss."

16th: Silent Hill 2 PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC Total Points: 35 Number of number 1 votes: 0 Number of votes: 3 (Cyber Rat, kensh_ryden, SanaEquiesterer) Silent Hill 2 is a survival horror video game published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 and developed by Team Silent, a production group within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. The second installment in the Silent Hill series, it was released in late September 2001 in North America and Japan, and in late November 2001 in Europe. It was also ported to the Xbox and PC. It has been re-released multiple times, including under the Greatest Hits label and as part of The Silent Hill Collection along with its indirect PS2 sequels Silent Hill 3 and Silent Hill 4: The Room. While it is set in the series' namesake town, Silent Hill 2 is not a direct sequel to the events and characters of the first Silent Hill game. Instead, it centers on James Sunderland, who enters the town after receiving a letter written by his deceased wife, saying she is waiting for him in their "special place" in Silent Hill. Joined by Maria who resembles her except for a more provocative outfit and personality, he searches for her and discovers the truth about her death. Additional material in re-releases and ports included Born from a Wish, a sub-scenario which focuses on Maria before she and James meet. Silent Hill 2 uses a third-person perspective and gameplay places a greater emphasis on finding items and solving riddles than combat, similar to the first Silent Hill. Psychological aspects such as the gradual disappearance of Mary's letter were added to the game. More humanoid than their counterparts in the preceding game, some of the monsters were designed as a reflection of James' subconscious. Real-life references to history, films and literary works can also be found in the game. Silent Hill 2 was positively received by the audience and critics. Within the month of its release in North America, Japan and Europe, over one million copies were sold, with the greatest sales in North America. English-language critics praised the atmosphere, graphics, story and monster designs of Silent Hill 2, but criticized the controls as difficult to use. Silent Hill 2 appeared on several critics' top lists for its story and use of metaphors, psychological horror and taboo topics. Okay, I've fixed that Tenshi, so FF6 has gone up, and FF4 has gone down.

Joint 17th: Persona 4 PlayStation 2 Total Points: 34 Number of number 1 votes: 0 Number of votes: 3 (Frosted Mini-Wheats, Nexus, SanaEquestierer) Persona 4 is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus for Sony's PlayStation 2, and chronologically the fifth installment in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series. Persona 4 was released in Japan in July 2008, North America in December 2008, and Europe in March 2009. It features a weather forecast system with events happening on foggy days to replace the moon phase system implemented in the previous games. Instead of the city locales of previous games in the series, Persona 4 takes place in a fictional Japanese countryside and is indirectly related to Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 in terms of gameplay and production. The player-named main protagonist is a high-school student who moved into the countryside from the city for a year. During his year-long stay, he becomes involved in investigating mysterious murders while harnessing the power of summoning Persona. The North American package of the game was released with a CD with selected music from the game, and, unlike Persona 3, the European package also contained a soundtrack CD. The music was composed by Shōji Meguro, with vocals by Shihoko Hirata who sang the theme song "Pursuing My True Self". The game was positively received by critics. Nexus says: "I prefer 3 purely because I got spoilered for the ending of 4. 4 is good because the supporting cast is great, and you can control your entire party. The protagonist is lamer though." Final Fantasy VI SNES, PlayStation, GameBoy Advance, Virtual Console, PlayStation Network Total Points: 34 Number of number 1 votes: 0 Number of votes: 3 (Chewblaha, Nexus, SanaEquiestrier, Saturnine Tenshi) Final Fantasy VI a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix). It was released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. It was ported by Tose with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation in 1999 and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance in 2006, and it was released for the Wii's Virtual Console in Japan in March 15, 2011. The game was known as Final Fantasy III when it was first released in North America, as the original Final Fantasy III had not been released outside of Japan at the time. However, later localizations used the original title. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a group of rebels as they seek to overthrow an imperial dictatorship. The game features fourteen permanent playable characters, the most of any game in the main series. Final Fantasy VI was the first game in the series to be directed by someone other than producer and series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi; the role was filled instead by Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Ito. Yoshitaka Amano, a long-time contributor to the Final Fantasy series, returned as the image and character designer, while regular composer Nobuo Uematsu wrote the game's score, which has been released on several soundtrack albums. Released to critical acclaim, the game is regarded as a landmark of the series and of the role-playing genre. Its Super Nintendo and PlayStation versions have sold over 3.48 million copies worldwide to date as a stand-alone game, as well as over 750,000 copies as part of the Japanese Final Fantasy Collection and the North American Final Fantasy Anthology. Final Fantasy VI has won numerous awards since its release. Nexus says: "Easily the best villain of the Final Fantasy series with Kefka. I didn't really bond with any of the protagonists though. The story is good, again. It's a quality game.

Joint 19th: Diablo II/Diablo II: Lords of Destruction PC,Mac Total Points: 33 Number of number 1 votes: 0 Number of votes: 3 (Chewblaha, ChrnoXIII, mergedwarrior) Diablo II is a dark fantasy/horror-themed hack and slash, with elements of the role playing game and dungeon crawl genres. It was released for Windows and Mac OS in 2000 by Blizzard Entertainment, and was developed by Blizzard North. It is a direct sequel to the 1996 hit PC game, Diablo. Nexus says: "When I was a young'un, Diablo II was one of the few games that would work on my PC, so I put a lot of time into it. Never finished it though. It was a lot of fun when I did play." The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind PC, Xbox Total Points: 33 Number of number 1 votes: 0 Number of votes: 4 (p4warrior, Cyber Rat, topeka!, SanaEquiesterer) The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, often simply referred to as Morrowind, is a single-player computer role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and published by Bethesda Softworks and Ubisoft. It is the third installment in The Elder Scrolls series of games. It was released in North America in 2002 for Microsoft Windows and the Xbox. Well-received publicly and critically, with over four million sales and more than 60 awards (including Game of the Year), Morrowind holds an average review score of 89% from both Metacritic and Game Rankings. The game spawned two expansion packs for the PC: Tribunal and Bloodmoon. Both were eventually repackaged into a full set containing all three, Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition, which shipped on October 30, 2003 for both PC and Xbox. The main story takes place on Vvardenfell, an island in the Dunmer province of Morrowind, which lies in the empire of Tamriel and is far from the more civilized lands to the west and south that typified Daggerfall and Arena. The central quests concern the deity Dagoth Ur, housed within the volcanic Red Mountain, who seeks to gain power and break Morrowind free from Imperial reign. Morrowind was designed with an open-ended free-form style of gameplay in mind, with a lessened emphasis on the game's main plot. This choice received mixed reviews in the gaming press, though such feelings were tempered by reviewers' appreciation of Morrowind's expansive and detailed game world. Nexus says: "I couldn't ever get on with it so never really got very far in it. Will try it again one day." I lumped Diablo II with Lords of Destruction because I could.

... I didn't vote for Super Mario World. I hope that's just a mis-type and not a mis-count. Twas both. Papu voted for it, and also put a place lower. So SMW moves down to joint 24th. It hasn't really changed anything else though, thankfully.

20th: Super Smash Bros. Melee GameCube Total Points: 32 Number of number 1 votes: 0 Number of votes: 4 (p4warrior, Johnny, Gyaruson, Aki) Super Smash Bros. Melee is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in 2001 (2002 in the PAL region). It is the successor to the 1999 Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the 2008 Wii game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. HAL Laboratory developed the game, with Masahiro Sakurai as head of production. The game is centered on characters from Nintendo's video gaming franchises such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon. The stages and gameplay modes make references to, or take their designs from, popular games released by Nintendo. Melee's gameplay system offers an unorthodox approach to the "fighter" genre as percentage counters measure the level of damage received, rather than the health bar traditionally seen in most fighting games. It builds on the first game's broad appeal by adding new features related to gameplay and playable characters. Following the popularity of its multiplayer gameplay, Melee has been featured in several multiplayer gaming tournaments Nexus says: "Ridiculous amounts of fun, particularly with three friends. FALCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNCH."